The Ayyam-i-ha, or “Days of Ha,” of the Bahá'i Faith are devoted to spiritual preparation for the Nineteen-Day Fast, celebrating, hospitality, charity, and gift giving. They are celebrated the four days (five in leap year) before the last month of the Bahá’i year.

Achepohl is a nationally recognized artist and Professor Emeritus of Art from the University of Iowa who lives in Eugene. During the past four years, he has created a series of remarkable images inspired by ex-votos. Organized by Director John Olbrantz, the exhibition features 40 mixed media works on paper and includes a selection of 19th- and 20th-century ex-votos from the artist's collection.

Whiting Tennis is a Seattle-based mixed media artist who merges interests in folk and Pop art with surrealism in his artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and collages. Often derived from doodles and automatic drawings, his art combines Western landscapes, lonely forms, and dilapidated buildings to create a distinctly American narrative. Organized by Collection Curator Jonathan Bucci, the exhibition will feature a range of work from the past 10 years.

What is the purpose of studying abroad and is there one right way to do it? Come and share your opinion about how Willamette's study abroad program should be shaped. Bill Smaldone (representing the Academic Council) and Kris Lou (director of international education) will frame the discussion and students Amara Fanucci, Ian Kline, and Lizzy Smith will talk about their study abroad experiences.

The University Convocation series is facilitated through the Office of the Chaplains and planned by the students of IDS 202 (Convo: Campus/Community/Cosmos).

The practice of mindfulness refers to our efforts and discipline at being fully present in the now, of living in the present moment. Mindfulness practice nourishes an understanding of the interconnectedness of our lives with the larger world we inhabit, allowing us to develop an enhanced awareness of the present, a stillness that cultivates a mind of love, compassion, kindness and peace.

Explore the history of the ex-voto with Professor Kate Wagle in this free lecture which is offered in conjunction with the Keith Achepohl: If It Please You Lord exhibition at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Professor Wagle is the Associate Dean and Director at the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon in Portland and the author of full-color book that accompanies the exhibition.

Ex-votos represent a tradition that dates back to ancient times. These objects often take the form of a flat embossed metal sheet that represents either a plea for help to a saint or divinity, or one’s gratitude for an answered prayer.

Dr. Timothy Beal
The Florence Harkness Professor of Religion
Case Western Reserve University

Journey back to early Christianity to
explore how a bunch of handwritten scrolls became the Bible, and forward
to see how the multibillion-dollar Bible business is selling down its
sacred capital. Today, in the twilight of print book culture and the
dawn of the digital era, the Bible is undergoing another revolution --
one that will be as big as Gutenberg. It's the “end of ‘the Word’ as we
know it.” Instead of attempting to protect and preserve our iconic "Good
Book," Beal sees this crisis as an opportunity to rediscover “the Bible
after the Bible,” not as a rock but a river, and not as a book of
answers but a library of questions.